UK to drop historic figures from banknotes and change them to images of wildlife
Famous British figures, including Winston Churchill and Jane Austen, will disappear from Bank of England banknotes, to be replaced by animals.
Economy
Latest reporting and analysis on economy.
Sharp rise in fuel prices forces Germany to release oil reserves
Germany has authorised the partial release of its national oil reserves to mitigate the sharp rise in oil and fuel prices triggered by the ongoing conflict in Iran,…
No more Obama-Biden timidity, it is time for America to assert itself again
It’s commonly said that generals always fight the last war.
Europol-led global criminal raid unearths €10m cash and 127,000 tonnes of waste
A major international police operation has dealt a significant blow to criminal groups profiting from environmental crime, seizing vast quantities of illegal waste…
EU’s €44bn defence loan for Poland would mean it paying back twice that amount
Polish President Karol Nawrocki has submitted a bill to parliament that would enable Poland to avoid taking out a loan from the European Union’s Security Action…
Amnesia? EC chief von der Leyen now calls nuclear exit ‘strategic mistake’
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has spoken out in favour of nuclear power, calling the nuclear phaseout in Europe a “strategic mistake”.
Meta hikes fees for advertisers in response to Europe’s digital taxes
Meta Platforms has notified advertisers of new “location fees” to offset digital services taxes (DSTs) imposed by several European Union countries and the UK
Iran-China vs the West: Who dictates terms to whom?
As the military campaign against the Iranian regime unfolds, the geopolitical landscape is being reshaped by forces far away from the immediate battlefield.
Volkswagen Group to cut 50,000 jobs in Germany as profits tumble
Europe’s biggest carmaker, Volkswagen Group, has presented dismal 2025 annual results.
German industry orders plummet in January with oil prices adding to pain
Germany’s industrial sector has started weakly into the New Year.
UK net-zero airline goes bust before take-off
EcoJet Airlines, the Scottish start-up promoted as the world’s first zero-emission regional carrier, has collapsed into voluntary liquidation without ever operating…
Threatening Orbán? Patriots for Europe condemn Zelensky’s ‘unacceptable’ remarks
The right-wing Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament has condemned remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Hungarian officials say…
Polish President proposes funding rearmament from central bank profits, not EU loan
Poland’s President and the head of the central bank have proposed a “sovereign, Polish” alternative to the government’s legislation to facilitate borrowing…
The Great Game of Oil: Why Iran is about leverage not liberation
Within seventy-two hours of Operation Epic Fury, the joint US-Israeli strike on Iran, Tehran had retaliated across the entire Persian Gulf.
German industry group says country ‘permanently damaged’ as business venue
The German industry association for the metals and electronics sector, Gesamtmetall, or the Federation of German Employers' Associations in the Metal and Electrical…
Energy prices soar, stock markets slide on Iran war fallout
Oil and gas prices soared, stock markets slid and the dollar firmed on Monday as the widening Iran war shook financial markets across the globe.
Eight ex-UK energy ministers urge government to reverse North Sea oil and gas policy
A cross-party group of eight former UK energy ministers has written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling for an urgent policy reversal on North Sea oil and gas.
Need more manure for energy but deplore its production? EU left with bullshit
Germany’s ruling coalition may be an awkward marriage of ideological rivals, but it does benefit from the absence of the Greens, who pushed many of the economically…
Von der Leyen ignores objections by EP and pushes Mercosur deal through
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has confirmed her decision to proceed with provisional application of the Mercosur trade pact.
Greenpeace ordered to pay €292m to US energy firm for damaging pipeline
A North Dakota judge has signalled he will order Greenpeace entities to pay an expected $345 million (€292 million) in damages to the US firm Energy Transfer over…
ECB books third straight annual loss
The European Central Bank said Thursday it booked its third straight loss in 2025 due to the lingering impact of a record run of interest rate hikes.
Trump administration have a vision of Hamilton’s ‘American System’ economics
The Supreme Court decision striking down Donald Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs at will has important implications…
How they do it there: Argentina posts 4.4% growth in 2025 under Milei
Argentina’s economy grew 4.4 per cent in 2025, according to the latest figures released by National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC).
German Government agrees on repealing controversial ‘green heating’ law
The German Government parties have announced an agreement to scrap a controversial legal obligation to phase out oil and gas heating systems.
Polish opposition calls on US to offer Poland defence loan as alternative to EU proposal
The Polish opposition Conservatives (PiS) have called on the current US Republican administration to propose an attractive loan offer for the country to purchase…
Dutch Government bows to pressure over controversial tax on unrealised gains
Dutch finance minister Eelco Heinen has announced a dramatic reversal of the recently approved -- and passionately opposed -- Box 3 tax reform.
German budget deficit in 2025 deeper into the red
Germany’s public sector has incurred a record deficit in 2025, according to numbers published by the country’s Federal Statistical Office.
Despite drop in 2025, Russian oil exports exceed pre-war volumes: report
While Russian oil exports dropped last year, Russia is still exporting higher volumes than before its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, researchers said Tuesday, calling…
High tobacco taxes risk fueling illicit trade and undermining health goals, EESC says
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has cautioned that abrupt or excessive increases in excise duties on tobacco and nicotine products could drive…
Polite as it was, ‘Shape up or we’ll ship out’ was Rubio’s message to Europe
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz each gave memorable speeches at this year’s Munich Security Conference, laying…